May 31, 2017

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Amazon’s attempt to reinvent TV shopping has failed

by John_A

Style Code Live seemed like the perfect bridge between Amazon’s online retail dominance and its increasingly accomplished Prime Video service. Nothing is that easy, however, and it all didn’t quite pan out: the show is over. The cancellation was unceremoniously abrupt: According to a Page Six report, the show’s staff were informed of the end of last week, with social media accounts deleted the same day.

The show attempted to deliver a QVC-style interactive shopping show, livestreamed each weekday on Amazon’s site for free — no Prime subscription needed. Things were kept lightweight and playful, with regular celebrity guests (of varying quality) mixed in with fashion and beauty advice — and naturally, a carousel of featured items ready to be clicked-on and bought up by viewers. The show focused on social media influencers alongside celebrities you may have actually heard of, in a bid to ensure people were watching. There’s certainly a difference between typical Amazon shopping experience and buying clothes seen on a show built to make you… buy the clothes you see.

It’s unlikely to stop Amazon’s efforts to make more money in fashion retail. The company continues to experiment — this wasn’t even its first foray into fashion TV. In hardware, Amazon’s Echo Look is a camera dedicated to fashion selfies, connecting to Amazon’s shopping hive mind for new suggestions and wardrobe additions. On the retailing side, the company now has its own clothing labels, and continues to try and crack high-end fashion. While its Prime video offerings continue to strengthen, Amazon has discovered that live TV is a different challenge entirely.